Florence Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Florence. Commenced in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and structurally completed by 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi; the basilica's exterior is faced with polychrome marble panels in various …Florence Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Florence. Commenced in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and structurally completed by 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi; the basilica's exterior is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink, bordered by white, and features an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.